Some More Indie 3D Platformer Recommendations, Part 2: Blue Fire and Toree

Today brings the second part of my round-up of indie 3D platformers, in order to keep both halves more manageable in length. If you missed the first part earlier this week, where I looked at Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight and Here Comes Niko!, check it out here. Once you’ve read that, we can jump right into the second half:


Blue Fire (Robi Studios)

Of all of the games I’m covering in this two-parter, Blue Fire might be the one I went into with the least idea of what to expect? I wasn’t too familiar with anyone involved, I just saw a trailer and decided that it looked interesting. And in that regard, I was pretty pleasantly surprised!

Blue Fire is the debut work of Robi Studios, and it’s a pretty strong opening statement. It’s by far the one here with the deepest lore, so that’s another plus (although it’s also the type of game that gives out said lore via exploration, so don’t expect a big explanation right off the bat). To not give too much away, you play as Umbra, a mysterious figure who wakes up in a ruined lab deep underground. Upon a little exploring, you learn that you are in the depths of a floating castle called Penumbra, built to protect the remnants of the world from an encroaching mass of shadows that long ago engulfed the earth below and now tries to infect the castle. You guide Umbra to learn the causes of these shadows, and to see if they can be stopped.

I’ve seen some compare the game’s world and story to Dark Souls, and I can’t really comment on that, as I haven’t played them. The other comparison I’ve seen is The Legend of Zelda series, and that one I have experience with, and can definitely see. The darker, 3D games stand out as influences, particularly Majora’s Mask* and Twilight Princess; if you played them and dug their surreal melancholy, supernatural gloominess, and generally off-kilter eldritch vibes, Blue Fire has got you covered.

 

Some More Indie 3D Platformer Recommendations, Part 1: Tasomachi and Here Comes Niko!

I’ve mentioned it here repeatedly in the past, but I am a pretty big fan of 3D platformers, and I’m willing to give a decent variety of games a try just to see how they are. A few months ago, I did a round-up of smaller 3D platformers that I had found through this willingness to try new things, and it was a lot of fun! I didn’t necessarily have a ton of deep design insights or anything, but it is fun to recommend smaller titles.

And since I’ve found a few more fun 3D platformers in the interim, why not run another small game round-up? Technically, all of them are games I’ve briefly mentioned here in the past, but usually in passing on another article (two of them in the last round-up, and one in my most recent playlist). I’ve enjoyed all of them a ton, so I figure it’s time to give them their own full highlights!

One big difference from the last time I did a round-up, though: the last time, I was as much trying to break down the different components of the genre, and looking at games that did some things well and other things maybe less good. This time, though, there’s a lot more polish to the games I’m mentioning. If you’re also a big fan of 3D platformers and always on the lookout for more, honestly I don’t think you can’t go wrong with any of these. If it’s more a genre you occasionally dig into, though, you still might find something that’s your speed, and hopefully breaking down what I like about these games can help you make a decision.

This was intended to be a bit of a shorter piece, but things wound up spiraling a little out of control, length-wise. And so, today will be the first of two parts; look for the follow-up sometime in the next week or so!


Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight (Orbital Express)

Like all of the games here, I’ve mentioned Tasomachi here before as something I was looking forward to. Unlike the other entries here, though, it didn’t come in a video game article; rather, it came during my Summer 2021 playlist. Snail’s House, an artist who’s now a regular feature in my Playlist articles, provided the soundtrack here (albeit under his other pseudonym, Ujico*), which is part of what made me first take notice of it. And sure enough, as expected, I really did like the soundtrack. But the game it’s attached to is also pretty good!